Wontons

These vegetarian wontons swap the usual pork filling for crumbled tofu stir-fried with ginger, garlic, scallions, sesame oil, and tamari. The tofu absorbs all those aromatics during the quick wok sear, creating a savory filling that holds together well inside the wrapper.

The folding technique matters. Wrapper in a diamond position, filling in the center, then fold into a triangle and press the edges firmly. Bringing the two side corners together and overlapping them gives you that classic wonton shape that traps a pocket of air, which puffs up during cooking.

You get two cooking options here. Deep-fried wontons come out golden and shatteringly crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Boiled wontons turn silky and tender in 5 minutes, ready to drop into a broth-based soup. Same filling, completely different eating experience.

Pro Tips

• Cool the filling completely before wrapping. Warm filling softens the wrappers and makes them tear.
• Dust the cornstarch platter generously. Finished wontons stick to bare surfaces and tear open when you try to peel them off.
• Press the edges firmly to seal. Any gap lets oil or boiling water into the filling, which makes them burst.
• Freeze uncooked wontons flat on a sheet pan first, then transfer to bags. They won’t stick together this way.

Variations

• Add finely chopped water chestnuts to the filling for crunch.
• Mix in a teaspoon of chili garlic sauce for a spicier version.
• Use shiitake mushrooms sautéed with the tofu for a deeper umami flavor.